Poughkeepsie… “Our emergency first responders continue to shine in the aftermath of Irene’s damage, stepping up to help other counties in need.   We are grateful for their unwavering dedication and commitment to serving those in need,” said Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus.

The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response has been working with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (NYSOFPC) to coordinate available fire, EMS and ambulance resources to provide assistance to fire departments in other counties who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Irene in accordance with the New York State Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan.  Dutchess County Fire Coordinator Kyle Pottenburgh has been working with local fire departments to canvass available resources as requested by the NYSOFPC and coordinated deployment to various counties as needed.

“Since the storm began over a week ago, Dutchess County volunteer and career firefighter teams have been deployed to assist in Ulster, Greene and Schoharie counties in addition to all of their heroic work here in Dutchess County,” said County Executive Steinhaus.   “Thanks to the training, skills and dedication of these firefighters, we are able to lend a hand to other counties who have been even harder hit than Dutchess County, as we all work to recover in the wake of Irene.”

Local Dutchess County fire department resources that have been deployed include:

• Arlington/LaGrange Fire Departments’ Swift Water Rescue Team was deployed to Ulster County on Saturday, August 28th to assist with active water rescues.    Arlington fire district team members assisted in Ulster County, while LaGrange Fire Department team members remained in Dutchess County, handling local incidents.
  
  
• Hughsonville Fire Department firefighters were deployed to Greene County with the department’s Heavy Rescue vehicle on Friday, September 2nd to assist with Greene County fire departments with activities which involved the use of the specialized rescue equipment.
  
  
• Pleasant Valley Fire Department firefighters were deployed today (September 7th) with one engine to Schoharie County to provide station coverage for fire responses in affected areas of Schoharie County.

Many other local fire departments and ambulance services have indicated resources are available for deployment should they be needed.    According to Dutchess County Fire Coordinator Kyle Pottenburgh, additional requests for resources are likely in the coming days as storm response continues.

“We are blessed in Dutchess County to have amazing first responders, both volunteer and career.   We commend them for all of their work here in Dutchess County both during and in the aftermath of Irene and we are grateful for their continued commitment to helping our neighbors in need,” concluded County Executive Steinhaus.